By RICK NOLTE Staff Writer
The Waycross Ethics Board considering a complaint against City Commissioner Katrena Felder will present its findings in a public meeting at 9:30 a.m. Monday, December 2 in City Hall.
The complaint filed by citizen Clayton Nelson alleges Felder misused her city issued credit card and attended a partisan event while on a city business trip.
The five-member citizen board will hold a public vote on up to two issues during Monday’s proceeding, Waycross Interim City Attorney Huey Spearman said.
The first vote will be on the allegation against the District 3 commissioner. If that vote is affirmative, a second vote will be on a penalty for the violations, Spearman said.
In addition to revealing its findings at the public meeting, the board will file a report on the matter to the City Commission.
The board, composed of chairperson Shawn Taylor, Martin Gray, Lorene Regulus, Albert Bussey and Felecia Brown was seated in September through a blind daw after Nelson filed his complaint September 2. Each of the city’s four available commissioners and Mayor Michael-Angelo James nominated two citizens to form a pool from which to draw panel members and two alternates.
The board held factfinding meetings beginning in October and November prior to a formal hearing November 15. Nelson and five others offered testimony to the board in response to questioning by attorneys Cynthia Copeland for the complainant and Adam Craft for Felder.
The panel met in executive session Thursday, November 21 to continue deliberation on the case. Spearman was informed Friday, November 22, the board would announce its findings at the December 2 meeting.
It was revealed during the city commission’s bimonthly meeting November 19 a complaint had been filed against Commissioners Diane Hopkins and Felder by citizen Shawn Sanders, the father of the late Sgt. Kennedy Ladon Sanders.
At the center of the complaint is the commissioners’ objection to the city providing free use of the C.C. McCray City Auditorium for a public viewing of the U.S. Army reservist as well as a later tribute dinner to raise funds for a foundation created in her honor.
The complaint alleges violations of two state/city codes by the commissioners surrounding the issue of the venue’s use.
